According to the 2012 Census Bureau, 9.9% of New Jersey residents are below the poverty level. Although that number alone would be considered high, the percentage rises even higher in the city of Passaic to 29.7 %. That same source states that of the 29.7 percent, 12.6 percent of the Passaic population makes less than $10,000 a year. With so many low income families in our community, many parents are not able to afford to buy toys for their children during the holiday season.
Additionally, this event is also intended to create a sense of cultural awareness for the second/third generation of Latin American children that may or may not be familiar with this tradition.